THE ARCHAEOLOGY FORUM
a grouping of independent bodies concerned with archaeology
www.britarch.ac.uk/archforum
Secretariat:
Convenor:
Council for British Archaeology
St Mary’s House
66 Bootham
York YO30 7BZ
Tel 01904 671417; Fax 01904 671384
Institute of Field Archaeologists
University of Reading
SHES, Whiteknights
PO Box 227
Reading RG6 6AB
Tel 0118 378 6446; Fax 0118 378 6448
taf@archaeologists.net
taf@britarch.ac.uk
David Lammy MP
Minister for Culture
Department for Culture, Media & Sport
2-4 Cockspur Street
London
SW1Y 5DH
18 January 2007
HERITAGE DEBATE, WESTMINSTER HALL, 25 JANUARY 2007
I am writing on behalf of The Archaeology Forum to convey our thoughts to you on the
Heritage White Paper – or at least the likely contents that have been widely trailed over the
last two years or so – in advance of the debate in Westminster Hall on 25 January.
We were encouraged to hear that MPs will have an opportunity to debate the report of the
Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee. In our view the report was an informed and
insightful analysis of the current situation in the historic environment sector. The Select
Committee clearly supported the case for Heritage Protection Reform, and also took on board
in their recommendations many points put to them by the Archaeology Forum. The
Government’s response was a disappointment to us as we had hoped for stronger advocacy
for the heritage sector and a more receptive attitude towards the evident resourcing problems
faced by English Heritage and the sector.
However, we wholeheartedly support the package of measures contained in Heritage
Protection Reform. The archaeological sector is united in its support of these reforms, and
looks forward to seeing them all robustly and persuasively set out in the White Paper. I have
enclosed for your information a copy of a briefing prepared by the Forum on the forthcoming
The Archaeology Forum’s members are
The Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers UK
The Council for British Archaeology
The Institute of Field Archaeologists
The Institute of Conservation
The Institute of Historic Building Conservation
The National Trust
The National Trust for Scotland
Rescue: the British Archaeological Trust
The Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
The Standing Conference of Archaeological Unit Managers
The Society of Museum Archaeologist UKs
debate. I have also enclosed a summary of separate briefing that The Archaeology Forum
organised for the All-Party Parliamentary Archaeology Group and presented jointly with
English Heritage, with a view to promoting the same level of support for HPR among
politicians as there is in the sector. We sincerely hope the debate on Thursday produces
evidence of that support – the proposed measures thoroughly serve it!
The only aspect of the White Paper about which we have any concern is timing. We feel that
it will be extremely important to get the White Paper published as soon as possible and before
it becomes entangled in elections in Scotland and Wales. The pressure to close local authority
historic environment services, on which HPR so much depends, continues –
Northamptonshire being a disturbing example – and a loss of momentum over HPR would
only encourage other authorities to follow this lead. We therefore encourage you to make a
firm commitment to a date, preferably a very early one, at the debate on Thursday.
Peter Hinton
Convenor
Copy: John Whittingdale, Chair, Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
The Archaeology Forum’s members are
The Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers UK
The Council for British Archaeology
The Institute of Field Archaeologists
The Institute of Conservation
The Institute of Historic Building Conservation
The National Trust
The National Trust for Scotland
Rescue: the British Archaeological Trust
The Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
The Standing Conference of Archaeological Unit Managers
The Society of Museum Archaeologist UKs
THE ARCHAEOLOGY FORUM
a grouping of independent bodies concerned with archaeology
www.britarch.ac.uk/archforum
Secretariat:
Convenor:
Council for British Archaeology
St Mary’s House
66 Bootham
York YO30 7BZ
Tel 01904 671417; Fax 01904 671384
Institute of Field Archaeologists
University of Reading
SHES, Whiteknights
PO Box 227
Reading RG6 6AB
Tel 0118 378 6446; Fax 0118 378 6448
taf@archaeologists.net
taf@britarch.ac.uk
Briefing note for heritage debate in Westminster Hall on 25 Jan 2007
The Archaeology Forum submitted written evidence1 to the Culture, Media & Sport Select
Committee and a delegation of Forum members also gave oral evidence to the Committee.
We are satisfied that the Committee took on board our views and we welcome the
Committee’s report. We were disappointed with the complacent Government response,
particularly in relation to issues of resourcing.
We are anticipating a Government White Paper will be published in February 2007. The
vision for the White Paper as set out by colleagues in English Heritage has our full support.
There is a strong consensus among archaeologists that we should use this once in a generation
opportunity to transform the way we protect and care for our archaeological heritage and
enhance the public benefit of archaeological work.
In addition to much needed reforms to the way in which important historic assets are
designated and managed, we are looking to see in the White Paper

A statutory requirement for local authorities to provide historic environment services
(preventing further problems like those recently announced in Northamptonshire2)

An end to class consents permitting the ploughing of Scheduled Ancient Monuments
(like Verulamium where considerable destruction continues through ploughing3)

Reforms to planning guidance to define archaeological resources more
comprehensively4, to emphasise public benefit by confirming that it is reasonable for
Available on the Forum’s web site at www.britarch.ac.uk/archforum
Details are given in the Forum’s letter sent to DCLG Minister Baroness Andrews which is available on the
Forum’s web site
3
The Forum supports the English Heritage campaign Ripping up history. Details are available at
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.3932
4
Currently some types of archaeological site, such as flint scatters, are excluded from protection, and important
palaeo-environmental deposits containing valuable evidence are also worthy of protection
1
2
The Archaeology Forum’s members are
The Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers UK
The Council for British Archaeology
The Institute of Field Archaeologists
The Institute of Conservation
The Institute of Historic Building Conservation
The National Trust
The National Trust for Scotland
Rescue: the British Archaeological Trust
The Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
The Standing Conference of Archaeological Unit Managers
The Society of Museum Archaeologist UKs
the planning process to require opportunities for public participation and requiring
appropriate public dissemination of the results and appropriate long term storage and
archiving of the archive, and to confirm that it is reasonable to require commercial
work, where appropriate, to be conducted by accredited historic environment
professionals5
All these points were included in the Select Committee’s recommendations.
Many of these proposals were also recommended by the All Party Parliamentary Archaeology
Group (APPAG) in its comprehensive 2003 report on the current state of archaeology in the
UK6.
We urge MPs to use this debate as an opportunity to show their support for forthcoming
reforms which are anticipated in the White Paper, and to argue for the resourcing needed to
make the reforms effective. As English Heritage has suggested, based on pilot projects and
independent research, the modest set-up costs for the reformed system will be an investment
to deliver significant medium-long term efficiencies to the processes for determining
applications for planning permission and heritage consents.
We strongly support the Select Committee’s concerns about funding to English Heritage. The
decline in EH funding in recent years, and the prospect of further reductions in the next
spending round period, are a matter of considerable concern for the sector. We urge MPs to
show their support for the heritage sector and press DCMS to present a more coherent and
‘joined up’ case for funding for the sector from the Treasury in the next spending round
period.
The Forum believes that archaeology enriches us all. It matters in the 21st century because
 Archaeology is key to understanding an irreplaceable store of human history, most
with no written record and sometimes highly vulnerable
 Understanding and appreciating this legacy makes a core contribution to local identity
and to our sense of who we are as a nation and in our communities
 A sense of place and a common cultural perspective are essential ingredients of
quality of life for communities and for individual citizens
 Archaeology links people in a direct way with continuity and change in our society
and our surroundings
 Like other disciplines in the historic environment, archaeology makes a major
contribution to the tourist economy and to heritage-led regeneration
Forum members would be very happy to provide individual briefings to MPs on
archaeological issues either for this debate or for future occasions. In particular, Forum
members are well positioned to identify constituency angles for general points which MPs
may wish to contribute to the debate, and subsequent debates taking forward the White Paper.
Contact with Forum members can be achieved through the address details at the top of this
briefing note.
5
A revision of Planning Policy Guidance Note 16 (Archaeology and Planning) is needed to bring it into line with
current ‘best practice’ and enhance the public benefit of archaeological work
6
Available on the APPAG web site at see www.appag.org.uk
The Archaeology Forum’s members are
The Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers UK
The Council for British Archaeology
The Institute of Field Archaeologists
The Institute of Conservation
The Institute of Historic Building Conservation
The National Trust
The National Trust for Scotland
Rescue: the British Archaeological Trust
The Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
The Standing Conference of Archaeological Unit Managers
The Society of Museum Archaeologist UKs
APPAG 11 October 2006
THE HERITAGE WHITE PAPER – PETER BEACHAM, DIRECTOR OF
HERITAGE PROTECTION, ENGLISH HERITAGE
Since the publication of Power of Place in 2001, English Heritage has worked with
government, the sector and our stakeholders to forge a consensus to support the radical reform
of the current heritage protection system. We believe the moment has come to bring the
system, built up cumulatively over more than a century of piecemeal legislation, into a fully
integrated statutory base for the management of the historic environment.
Such a modernised system should reflect the contemporary understanding of the historic
environment as a whole, not just a number of disparate components. This requires:

Redefining the inherited definitions of buildings, monuments, sites and landscapes.

Unification of the listing of buildings, scheduling of monuments, registration of parks,
gardens and battlefields into a single designation regime and a new national Register
of buildings, sites and landscapes. World Heritage Sites should be included.

Integrating the present LBC and SMC regimes into a single new heritage consent to
reflect the seamless weave of archaeology and buildings.

Establishing statutory management agreements based on partnership between owners,
managers and English Heritage to offer medium-long term strategic management and
pre-agreed consent for certain works.

Enhancing local delivery by strengthening local historic environment services and
recalibrating the relationship between English Heritage and local authorities, including
the provision of statutory Historic Environment Records, local designation, and LPAs
becoming the gateway to the new heritage consent.
The set-up costs for such a system would be an investment to deliver medium-long term
efficiencies, for example through the widespread application of statutory management
agreements. These reforms have been tested extensively by English Heritage in a number of
pilot projects all over England.
English Heritage believes that there is widespread support for, indeed expectations of, such
reforms so that the historic environment can enter the mainstream of modern environmental
management. We expect the White Paper to deliver this.
THE HERITAGE WHITE PAPER – PETER HINTON (CHIEF EXECUTIVE,
INSTITUTE OF FIELD ARCHAEOLOGISTS) ON BEHALF OF THE
ARCHAEOLOGY FORUM
The vision for the White Paper set out by English Heritage has the full support of The
Archaeology Forum (TAF).
The Archaeology Forum’s members are
The Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers UK
The Council for British Archaeology
The Institute of Field Archaeologists
The Institute of Conservation
The Institute of Historic Building Conservation
The National Trust
The National Trust for Scotland
Rescue: the British Archaeological Trust
The Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
The Standing Conference of Archaeological Unit Managers
The Society of Museum Archaeologist UKs
TAF is a grouping of non-central government archaeology bodies that coordinates the sector’s
advocacy, and includes the Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers UK,
the Council for British Archaeology, the Institute of Field Archaeologists, the National Trust,
the National Trust for Scotland, Rescue, the Society of Antiquaries of London, the Society of
Antiquaries of Scotland, the Standing Conference of Archaeological Unit Managers, and the
Society of Museum Archaeologists UK. Attendance by the Institute of Historic Building
Conservation and the Institute of Conservation ensure a joined-up approach across the historic
environment.
There is a firm consensus of archaeological support for the White Paper. It has been heralded
as a ‘once in a generation opportunity’, and we want it to be radical and reforming. The risks
of dissent from the sector are greater from a White Paper that does not go far enough than
they are from one that goes to far.
In addition to the essential reforms set out be Peter Beacham, we want to see

a statutory requirement for local authorities to provide historic environment services
(preventing further problems like those in Northamptonshire)

an end to class consents permitting the ploughing of scheduled monuments

reforms to planning guidance to define archaeological resources more
comprehensively, to confirm that it is reasonable for the planning process to require
opportunities for public participation, and to confirm that it is reasonable to require
commercial work, where appropriate, to be conducted by accredited historic
environment professionals
We are confident that EH shares all these aspirations, many of which are clearly set out in
APPAG’s report.
We urge APPAG to support the White Paper and subsequent Bill if it promises to deliver
these desiderata. Should it fall short, we hope that APPAG would use its influence during the
consultation and subsequent stages to remedy any defects, and to give us the reformed
heritage legislation we all need.
The Archaeology Forum’s members are
The Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers UK
The Council for British Archaeology
The Institute of Field Archaeologists
The Institute of Conservation
The Institute of Historic Building Conservation
The National Trust
The National Trust for Scotland
Rescue: the British Archaeological Trust
The Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
The Standing Conference of Archaeological Unit Managers
The Society of Museum Archaeologist UKs